Weekly Vlog: Thumb Sucking and Food Addiction
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- Опубликовано: 5 мар 2024
- A few days ago, I was on an accountability call with our Bright Lifers community. One of the people participating shared that when she was a child she sucked her thumb. Later, she switched to eating addictively for comfort. She went directly from using her thumb as a source of comfort, relief, and soothing to using food for comfort, relief, and soothing.
As she was sharing this with the community, all I could think was “Oh my gosh, me too! Why don’t I ever think about this or talk about this? Why isn’t it part of my story?”
I sucked my thumb until I was 13 years old. The orthodontist even glued little spikes to the backs of my front teeth. That didn’t stop me-it just gave me vampire-like piercings on my thumb!
For me, what did it was getting my period. That gave me an awareness that I wasn’t a child any longer. But I still bit my nails until they bled. I didn’t quit biting my nails until much later-and even today, I have a nail I will bite and chew sometimes. As a kid, I also chewed on wooden pencils until they were soggy splinters in my mouth and I devoured Bic pen caps until they were long skinny spikes of plastic covered in teeth marks. It’s all the same oral fixation.
After talking to this Bright Lifer, I Googled “Dopamine release and thumb sucking.” Turns out there’s a whole scientific literature on it. And on dopamine release and chewing as well.
We use what we can when we’re babies and children to self-soothe, release anxiety, and get what we need. They’re all tools for self-medicating.
The link between thumb-sucking and food addiction is partly why I recommend not chewing gum. Chewing is important physiologically, but we get the mastication that we need when we eat whole, real foods. I recommend not chewing gum in order to break that oral fixation. As adults, we don’t want to rely on crutches. We don’t want to feel like we must have something in our mouths to be comforted. When we abstain from soothing or distracting ourselves in that way, we open up a space to ask ourselves what we truly need in that moment: connection? Comfort? Do we need to address something in our environment? Start a project we’ve been procrastinating on?
Having something in your mouth at all times is counterproductive, even if you don’t identify as a food addict.
Similar to that, research came out a while ago that clicking a mouse-like for a videogame-also causes a dopamine release in the brain. It’s interesting how we, as a species, gravitate toward whatever provides a little ease.
Another lesson I’ve gleaned from this is about how we tell our story: how we sometimes miss a key piece of the puzzle. Maybe we’re in denial or haven’t looked hard enough, or maybe-and I think this is true for me-we’re just used to telling our story as we tell it. So, when someone brings something to our attention, it gives us another way to look at our past and the forces and experiences that have shaped us. We are writing and rewriting our story all the time.
I invite you to look back at your own history and at the ways we’re similar. I suspect there are a fair number of people who will relate to this. And that may mean you need to ask yourself what kind of comfort you need. Where are you being called to grow and stretch, and how can you learn to tolerate discomfort, so that you can see where you truly need to go next.
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Thumb sucker, nail biter and over eater! This weekly vlog was a home run for me.
Thank you!
We appreciate you taking the time to watch! 🥰
I came full stop when I saw the title to this vlog. I was a thumb sucker through late childhood and a pen and straw chewer. I often chew gum because I've eaten and shouldn't be hungry and my mouth just needs something to do. Never would have put this all together.
omg!!! how enlightening..and now that I am 80...maybe it is time to restart this soothing...why not????
Great vlog! Growing up, food insecurity was definitely an issue as well. I think that that's a direct link to all of what you discuss too.
Food insecurity could sure be a contributing factor. We appreciate your comment. 🧡
Childhood nail-biter here.
When I was in 7th grade, I was in a horse accident that broke my jaw and my front teeth. My jaw was wired shut for a month, and I link that time to when I began an addictive relationship with food (liquid only for that first month). Between the pain, the restricted diet, and the shame at being in Jr.High with my face+smile all messed up, it’s no wonder I sought soothing.
Until watching this vlog (on day-of-release this time - our Sat breakout group cured me of putting it off 😅) I had never put together the facts that when I broke my jaw+teeth, I physically could no longer bite my nails, and replaced that behavior with the food-as-comfort/soother behavior.
Wow.
I love how this BLE journey takes us to unexpected areas of insight, as well as to better health and freedom.
I just wanted to tell you that book "Ultra Processed People" is a treasure! I listened to it on Audible some of gets technical but I really look now for ultra processed crap in my food I think we are the very beginning of people really caring about what they eat they hid all kinds of deadly chemicals in are food! I am so glad you talked about that book I will listen to it again I know I missed things! Thank you for sharing about that book!
Oh man! About a year ago, I posted in the FB BLE page about picking my nose and eating my boogers as an adult when I relapse on food. You know... There was 1 or 2 people that commented, "Gross!" However, there were A LOT more people commenting with kindness and curiosity. Some of the questions included what age was I when I started doing that and what part, in terms of parts work, was needing to be addressed. There were a few people who reached out to me directly too and said that they are grown adults and do it too. When I've brought this topic up in-person in recovery circles, it leads into discussion about how people feel the urge to pick their nose and flick their boogers, among other things, or the urge to pick at pimples or scabs. All of this to say, if you relate to any of the behavior ticks listed above, it's more common than you probably think, and you are not alone.
How wonderful that you were met with curiosity and kindness! 💖💖
I remember reading that it is beneficial to the immune system and kids should not be discouraged from doing it...perhaps just teach them to be discreet! 😃
I have worked in health care including mental health for years, so it's pretty hard to gross me out. One of the nurses I worked with had a 4 year old niece who asked her how come boogers taste good but earwax doesn't, lol. Leave it to kids! ❤
I was a nail biter from childhood until I was in high school, then I stopped when I wanted to wear nail polish and nice fashions. But I switched from nail biting to sugar and have kept that up since recently. Now BLE and want to be finally weaned!
I was given the prongs, as well. Became overweight after I had to stop thumb sucking. Never put this together either. Thank you
Would never have guessed there was a correlation, but it appears so. I was a late thumb-sucker as well. At 43, I still bight my nails bloody (still struggling with that one). Have had a lot of past unhealthy relationships - food, alcohol, caffeine, etc... Anxiety is definitely a component. Appreciate BLE ongoing commitment to better understanding ourselves.
We appreciate you taking the time to comment 🥰
Yes! Definitely a connection. I still struggle with this. Currently my lines are bright with food, but I’ve noticed that my skin picking ramps up when I’m stressed even if my food stays under control. I’m starting to apply some of the BLE techniques (pausing, breathing, meditating) to this other aspect of my self-soothing.
Good idea to apply those things to other parts of our lives.
Pausing, breathing, and meditating are great practices to apply here! 🙂🙂
This is my reality as well.
Yes! I was born in 1954 and I still have the instructions the doctor sent home with my mom for my formula. No breast milk. Evaporated milk and karo syrup! The sugar addiction started at birth! Thumb sucker and nail biter in childhood. Graduated to cigarettes and alcohol as a teen. Successfully quit smoking, but the alcohol continued for many years. BLE enabled me to quit the alcohol 6 years ago, but I relapsed into sugar addiction. I believe part of my struggle is ADHD and hyper focus related. The struggle is real. For me, another addiction seems to be lined up and waiting for a turn once I kick one to the curb.
Former nail biter here… chewed on pencils and pen caps as well. Licked batteries too. (9v were the tastiest) 😅
I so relate to the nail biting story......throughout my life sometimes stop.....but never completely. I am 70!!! Mass transit with curled hands etc etc. Thanks for tying this all together.
Wow! Your story is similar to mine. I'm a childhood biter and chewer. I still have issues as an adult with biting my nails and other picking when I watch news or other things that distress me. I even have to be careful about what movies or fiction I consume. Such an interesting correlation.
Same!
@@jenniferemrich3837 It's hard!
Wow this is so true for me. I didn’t quit sucking my thumb until I got braces in 4th grade and orthodontist told me I had to quit or teeth wouldn’t straighten. And that is the year I started sneeking food…
🧡🧡
WOW! I was about that age before I quit as well - and had the headgear!!!
OMG this rang so true for me! Thumb sucking then chewing pens and pencils until they were shredded. I remember even going to town on TV remotes (drove my Dad crazy).
Relatable! 🖊🧡✏
I love this, Susan, thank you. I'm relating over here.❤
So glad you can relate 🙂
So relating! WOW thank you!! Still chew my lips :(. Do it unconsciously even if I manage to stop briefly. I actually see this issue also through a lens of being a highly sensitive person. My skin is sensitive, often dry, itchy, it kind of begs to be picked or scratched lol. For many women their skin feels itchier before their periods, urge to pick often worse then.
Omg!! Me to...not sucking on my tumb, but biting!!! All my pens and pensils....and toothpicks!!! Thank you for this insight Susan!
We hope this insight was helpful for you 🧡🧡
Every time I am Bright…I STOP biting my nails! This is nuts!❤
And 21 years ago I quit smoking because I brushed my teeth constantly and chewed on toothpicks.
Wow! What a connection to make! 💗
I sucked my thumb until age 7. My self comfort habit of sucking my thumb and stroking the soft binding of my blanket at the same time was done only in the privacy of my bedroom. But at the age of 7 my mother decided (and verified it with other neighborhood housewives) that it was embarrassing for her and I was too old and it needed to stop. So my blanket was removed in a very disturbing way and wah la I no longer sucked my thumb. But I began to USE food to replace that needed and desired comfort. So began my long and sad distorted relationship with food. It was not until many years later while I was in therapy to heal my relationship with my self, it became clear. The evidence was in my class pictures. In my Kindergarten and first grade pictures I was smiling, right sized, and bright eyed. In my pictures for the following years, I was remarkable bigger and not as childlike nor carefree. I needed something and thought I found it in food. It has been a long and remarkable journey...thank you Susan for addressing it,
Thank you for sharing your story here. 💓💗🧡
I sucked my thumb even longer than you did! I stopped when a boy I was dating died suddenly of an overdose. Crazy. I also chew pencils and pens and want something in my mouth most of the time. Thanks for this one, as always.
I wonder about straws...you see people with huge sodas and "coffee" drinks that are more like a milkshake. People are always drinking them from a straw. I would think the sucking instinct would not be natural to an adult, but I suppose it's the "easiest" way to drink them from a practical aspect. I never thought it was healthy though, no matter the beverage - even with H20, but I guess it would be self soothing when you combine the sugar/caffeine hit with the sucking motion. Instant gratification and people feel better right away.
I grew up in New England and we had something called "spruce gum"...not sweet at all. Spruce sap coated with (I think) cornstarch or powdered cellulose. It doesn't make you want to chew it for long, but it is refreshing. There are many incarnations online, but not as I remember it. With sweetened gum the sweet doesn't last long, so it's a good way to get people addicted to your product. Reach for another piece when your poor, tired, overworked brain is ready for another fix.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and continue the conversation 😊😊
Great Vlog! I was wondering about the possibility of pacifier use as a possible source as well. My daughter used one until she was 5 years old. Now at the age of 36 she is overweight more than ever before. Your thoughts?
Thanks!
What advice would you give as a parent about encouraging a child to quit? (From an IFS perspective this is really interesting because I think this would be a key to helping some child-like parts to deal better with food.)
Yes, I totally relate! I often ask myself how I was able to just stop sucking my thumb at 12 years old but struggle all my life against cigarettes and food.
The struggle is real. 💖
Never sucked my thumb, bit my finger, or chewed pencils. I picked at my skin when being forced to do things I didn’t want to do, and felt I had no control over.
Oh wow. Wow! So much to consider there...
Right? 🌟
Wow. Fingernail picking/biting are still a habit for me at 34 years old. I've never had fingernails that were normal length. Never let them get that long. I sucked my thumb until I was 5, and then my parents painted my thumb with a really hot spicy substance while I was sleeping. Woke up with my mouth on fire and stopped cold turkey. However the nail biting and now phone scrolling are my go to's. And yes, I'm a food addict. Did BLE for 4 months straight, lost 45 pounds, ate a biscuit, and boom, gained it right back. Sigh.
Sending you lots of love 💓and holding space for your struggles.
I relate to ALL of this! I am so thankful that I am not the only one. 😂
You are certainly NOT alone 🧡
I see that sumb thucking is more universal than I thought. I did have several oral crutches simultaneously however; my thumb and a certain blankie being only one, till 8th grade and some serious dental repairs persuaded me to quit… not the blankie though…. I think a form of Trichotillomania replaced the thumb (never went bald though). I can still do that at times though far far less. But food was ALWAYS a baseline, before, during and after. I guess I’m multiply addicted. Sigh. So grateful for every day I follow this plan. It really is about freedom! Now I just have to kick my addiction to spider solitaire! Working on it.
🧡Thank you for sharing your experiences.
Interesting. I can't say that I've seen (or experienced) this particular connection. The one that I've seen (in classmates or my children's classmates) is a connection between extended thumb-sucking and the later development of Eating Disorders, most specifically, anorexia. But, it's totally anecdotal on my part, unless there's a whole history of journal articles on the topic, right?
SPT: It's in the DENTAL LITERATURE:
*Thumb sucking is also something kids and adults with undiagnosed, unreleased tongue-ties!
*The reason is that the tongue is supposed to REST ON and assist with PROPER GROWTH of the palate and BOTH Maxillary and Mandibular Dental arches.
*YES, OPEN BITES are also a result of Tongue-thrusting, and the Spikes inside the braces do not retrain the tongue. Nail-biting, too.
*I have seen MANY adults going through their 3rd Round of Antibiotics.
*If your Tongue is not on your palate, You do not get the dopamine and serotonin,
YOU ARE IN FIGHT/FLIGHT/FREEZE! (Sympathetic Mode.)
*THE ROOT Cause is dysfunctional resting postures, and muscle functions over a life-time.
Susan, I can send you the published, peer-reviewed studies.
This is really interesting--thanks for sharing! 🙂
I sucked my thumb until I was 12 years old. I was never overweight and I only weighed 83 lbs at 30 years old. I didn't gain weight until I went through menopause. Never weighed over 105 lbs until then. Of course then I proceeded to gain 100 lbs. Which I know now was absolutely hormones. Also one of my sons sucked his thumb until he was about 10 and he was never overweight either. So that's definitely not a given.
Former thumbsucker here.. I turned to food, then alcohol. I still chew the inside of my cheeks 😮
We're sending you love, friend. 🧡Thanks for being here.
This is so interesting! I was a thumb sucker. Now I clench and grind my teeth at night. I have to wear a guard. All related?
It might be! 👍
I have a toothpick in my mouth almost every day. Use it, then I chew on it for hours. Time for me to put it down. Wow!
Maybe there's a reason I chose to play the oboe!
Maybe! 🎵🎵
OMG I sucked my thumb until I was 13 yrs. Wow!!!!
It's interesting to think about these things! 😊😊
You don't age!!!
I know when I quit chain smoking I quickly gained more than 100 pounds.